Published: Friday, June 10, 2011 at 11:40 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, June 10, 2011 at 11:40 a.m.

The appearance of Orton Plantation is rapidly changing, but the ongoing clearing work in wooded areas meets with the approval of the N.C. Coastal Land Trust.

As for wetlands on the nearly 5,000-acre property, a planned May meeting with the Army Corps of Engineers and new owner Louis Moore Bacon was postponed and rescheduled, putting a hold on any modifications.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for landowner Louis Moore Bacon reiterated a recently released statement that outlines Bacon's plans for the former antebellum rice plantation, which borders N.C. 133 and the Cape Fear River in Brunswick County.

The timbering activity and clearing of undergrowth currently under way on the land are apparently aimed at restoring longleaf pine growth similar to what existed there at one time, said Camilla Herlevich, executive director of the N.C. Coastal Land Trust.

The nonprofit organization has a conservation easement on about 3,000 acres of the property that restricts development or mining.

A trust biologist inspected the Orton property in May as part of annual monitoring.

"We were just thrilled," Herlevich said. "They were getting up some of the old loblolly (pine) plantation and doing undergrowth."

The work will encourage "a strong longleaf pine habitat" similar to what the Coastal Land Trust is establishing at Brunswick Nature Park in Town Creek, Herlevich said.

"We're quite happy with it," she said. "They are restoring longleaf pines, and they appear to be doing that from prescribed burning and timbering loblolly."

Conservation groups estimate that longleaf pine trees once covered 30 million to 60 million acres of the southeastern United States Coastal Plain, but 200 years of logging and land clearing significantly reduced its range. Longleaf pine takes 100 to 150 years to become full size and can reach 300 years old.

Some native longleaf pines remain on the property, but the work at Orton will encourage further growth, Herlevich said.

"It's improving the conservation value," she said. "It's the kind of things we would like to do if we had more money."

A separate plan to restore a portion of Orton Plantation wetlands to rice cultivation has run into opposition from the Corps of Engineers.

Dredging work had already begun when the corps identified a violation of the federal Clean Water Act and issued a cease-and-desist order earlier this year.

For work to continue at Orton Plantation, the corps must approve continued dredge or fill activity. Public hearings are also part of the process.

Frye said in an email that the planned meeting between Bacon representatives and the corps "did not occur" and was rescheduled. She would not specify when it will take place.

"The owners' agents and consultants continue to be cooperative and interested in resolving the matter," Frye said.

The land trust does not have easements over wetlands, Herlevich said.

Bacon was born in Raleigh and is descended from the family that built Orton Plantation in the early 1700s. He is founder of Moore Capital Management, a hedge fund headquartered in New York City, with offices in London and Washington, D.C. The billionaire investor purchased Orton Plantation from the Lawrence Sprunt family in 2010.

Orton Plantation Gardens closed to the public on June 1, 2010, "to begin renovations of the plantation home, gardens and the necessary repair and restoration of the colonial rice fields," according to www.ortongardens.com.

"Our focus now and going forward is restoration," Mark Hubbard, a spokesman for Orton Plantation, said in an email response to questions about the future of the property.

It remains unclear if any of the privately owned plantation property, including Orton Plantation Gardens, will be accessible to the public in the future.

"Orton Plantation has initiated a long-term management plan to develop diverse forest systems and to protect threatened and endangered plant and animal communities on this historic property. The focus of the property management is shifting away from commercial timbering to restore and enhance a rich and diverse landscape including the longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystem which has been in severe decline," Hubbard said.

"Orton Plantation is consulting with and utilizing accredited and well respected fire ecology, forest management and game bird management experts to implement this plan."

<p>The appearance of Orton Plantation is rapidly changing, but the ongoing clearing work in wooded areas meets with the approval of the N.C. Coastal Land Trust.</p><p>As for wetlands on the nearly 5,000-acre property, a planned May meeting with the Army Corps of Engineers and new owner Louis Moore Bacon was postponed and rescheduled, putting a hold on any modifications.</p><p>Meanwhile, a spokesman for landowner Louis Moore Bacon reiterated a recently released statement that outlines Bacon's plans for the former antebellum rice plantation, which borders N.C. 133 and the <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic91"><b>Cape Fear River</b></a> in Brunswick County.</p><p>The timbering activity and clearing of undergrowth currently under way on the land are apparently aimed at restoring longleaf pine growth similar to what existed there at one time, said Camilla Herlevich, executive director of the N.C. Coastal Land Trust.</p><p>The nonprofit organization has a conservation easement on about 3,000 acres of the property that restricts development or mining.</p><p>A trust biologist inspected the Orton property in May as part of annual monitoring.</p><p>"We were just thrilled," Herlevich said. "They were getting up some of the old loblolly (pine) plantation and doing undergrowth."</p><p>The work will encourage "a strong longleaf pine habitat" similar to what the Coastal Land Trust is establishing at Brunswick Nature Park in Town Creek, Herlevich said.</p><p>"We're quite happy with it," she said. "They are restoring longleaf pines, and they appear to be doing that from prescribed burning and timbering loblolly."</p><p>Conservation groups estimate that longleaf pine trees once covered 30 million to 60 million acres of the southeastern United States Coastal Plain, but 200 years of logging and land clearing significantly reduced its range. Longleaf pine takes 100 to 150 years to become full size and can reach 300 years old.</p><p>Some native longleaf pines remain on the property, but the work at Orton will encourage further growth, Herlevich said.</p><p>"It's improving the conservation value," she said. "It's the kind of things we would like to do if we had more money." </p><p>A separate plan to restore a portion of Orton Plantation wetlands to rice cultivation has run into opposition from the Corps of Engineers.</p><p>Dredging work had already begun when the corps identified a violation of the federal Clean Water Act and issued a cease-and-desist order earlier this year.</p><p>For work to continue at Orton Plantation, the corps must approve continued dredge or fill activity. Public hearings are also part of the process.</p><p>Jennifer Frye, Wilmington-based Corps of Engineers enforcement project manager, said the "open enforcement action" is ongoing.</p><p>Frye said in an email that the planned meeting between Bacon representatives and the corps "did not occur" and was rescheduled. She would not specify when it will take place.</p><p>"The owners' agents and consultants continue to be cooperative and interested in resolving the matter," Frye said.</p><p>The land trust does not have easements over wetlands, Herlevich said.</p><p>Bacon was born in Raleigh and is descended from the family that built Orton Plantation in the early 1700s. He is founder of Moore Capital Management, a hedge fund headquartered in New York City, with offices in London and Washington, D.C. The billionaire investor purchased Orton Plantation from the Lawrence Sprunt family in 2010.</p><p>Orton Plantation Gardens closed to the public on June 1, 2010, "to begin renovations of the plantation home, gardens and the necessary repair and restoration of the colonial rice fields," according to www.ortongardens.com.</p><p>"Our focus now and going forward is restoration," Mark Hubbard, a spokesman for Orton Plantation, said in an email response to questions about the future of the property.</p><p>It remains unclear if any of the privately owned plantation property, including Orton Plantation Gardens, will be accessible to the public in the future.</p><p>"Orton Plantation has initiated a long-term management plan to develop diverse forest systems and to protect threatened and endangered plant and animal communities on this historic property. The focus of the property management is shifting away from commercial timbering to restore and enhance a rich and diverse landscape including the longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystem which has been in severe decline," Hubbard said.</p><p>"Orton Plantation is consulting with and utilizing accredited and well respected fire ecology, forest management and game bird management experts to implement this plan."</p><p></p><p>Metro desk: 343-2389</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @StarNewsOnline</p>